Taberna da Sé

The Taberna da Sé [Sé Tavern] is a small catering establishment. It occupies part of the ground floor of a building with three facades in an excellent location in Porto city centre, close to the Cathedral. The conversion of this space, which had been shut up for a number of years, is taking place at a time when the city is undergoing a marked urban regeneration process. Although the wave of investment in regeneration is beginning to be visible in the Sé area, the situation in terms of building conditions remains highly precarious.

As tested on other sites, the project reuses elements salvaged from other buildings: granite flooring in varying sizes and qualities and ancient shutters made into panels with rough textures.

The imperfections of the ancient materials are complemented by interventions which create a welcoming atmosphere: the white paint which covers the surfaces from the tables up, and the aluminium ceiling lamps made manually.

Hydraulic mosaics with colourful patterns are also used, both in the service areas and in delicate incisions in the dining tables.

Despite its small size, we believe that the Taberna da Sé can serve as a catalyst for the revitalisation of this rundown area.

paulo moreira architectures is a porto-based studio, portugal. the practice develops architectural, cultural and research projects for post-boom times. an international team of collaborators is working across portugal and abroad, reimagining the role of architecture today.